Elastic rail spike and its arrangement with respect to the rails



Oc t. 31, 1939. B KUCKUCK 2178. 78

ELASTIC RAIL SPIKE AND ITS ARRANGEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE RAILS Filed April 16, 1.938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 3 1, 1939. uc uc 2,178,478

ELASTIC RAIL SPIKE AND ITS ARRANGEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE RAILS Filed April 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY Wow/L ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1939 PATENT OFFICE ELASTIC RAIL SPIKE MENT WITH RESPE AND ITS ARRANGE- CT TO THE RAILS Bcrthold Kuckuck, New York, N. Y., assignor to Elastic Rail Spike Corporation, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 16, 1938, Serial No. 202,434 15 Claims. .(Cl. 238 349) My invention relates to improvements in & elastic rail spikes and more particularly to the arrangement thereof with respect to the rails.

The application -of elastic rail spikes usually 5 requires relatively wide spacing between the sides of the rail flange and the lines of the spike holes, because the resilient gripping arm which projects transversely of the longitudinal rail axis must be relatively long in order to function properly, while the tips of the arms must be free to pass the sides of the rail head, as the spike is being driven into the tie. In many instances, this wide spacing of the spike holes from the rail flange is decidedly impractical.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a rail fastening in which the advantages of the long resilient gripping arm are retained and the wide spacing of the spike hole from the rail flange is obviated, while the tip of the grip-- 8o ping arm does not project inwardly beyond the plane coinciding with the adjacent vertical stir-- face of the rail head. 7

A further object of my invention is to provide a rail fastening means which insures substantial resistance against lengthwise creeping of the rail.

I accompl sh these objects by means of the combination in a resilient fastening for securing rails to ties of an elastic rail spike having a shank driven into a spike hole disposed adjacent the rail flange and a gripping arm resiliently engaging the flange of the rail and projecting towards the rail at an angle between 60 and 45 with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof with its free end pointing in the longitudinal direction opposite to that of the traffic.

My invention is illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rail fastening 49 according to one embodiment of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a spike with laterally twisted gripping arm; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of one embodiment of a tie' plate;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a further embodiment of a tie plate;

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary top plan views of a tie plate according to Fig. 4 in combination with different types of spikes;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of aplurality of rail fastenings, according to the present invention.

as applied to a rail for unidirectional trailic; and Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a plurality of rail fastening applied to a rail arranged for traflic in both directions.

Referring now to Fig. 1, l0 denotes a wood tie, II the tie plate disposed on said tie,'and I2 a rail, having a head l3, a web l4, and a flange 5 l5, which rests on the tie plate II. The tie plate II is provided at a point adjacent the rail flange [5, with a perforation l6 of the usual rectangular shape having two of its sides parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail. I! de- 10 notes the rail spike, which has a rectangular transverse cross-section and consists of a spring metal band bent upon itself to form two parallel strands, the spike comprising a straight shank l8 which passes through the perforation I 6 of 5 the tie plate H and into a spike hole l9, which is disposed in the wood tie I 0 and which is in alignment with the perforation I 6, whereby the shank is secured against rotation in the latter. The upper portion of the spike is bent to form a 20 sidewardlyprojecting resilient gripping arm 20, which isthen twisted laterally about the vertical axis of the shank [8 (see Fig. 2) to project towards the rail I2 at an angle between and 45 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the 25 latter. The tip 2| of the resilient gripping arm 20 engages the rail flange l5 at a point outside and free of the vertical plane coinciding with the adjacent vertical surface of the rail head I3, whereby the tip 2! of the gripping arm 20 is free 0 to pass the head l3 of the rail 12, as the spike I1 is driven into the spike hole I9, although the length of the resilient gripping arm I 8 exceeds the distance between the spike hole l9 and said vertical plane. 85

Fig. 3 shows a tie plate22 with a rectangular perforation 23, the sides of said perforation 23 being disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the plate. In a tie plate of this type, a normal resilient. spike may 40 be used, the same having a gripping arm projecting sidewardly in the plane of the shank, and being inserted'onto the spike hole with its shank secured against rotation in said perforation 23 and its gripping arm projecting towards the rail 45 at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof.

The tie plate 24 according to Fig. 4 is provided with an octangular perforation 25 which may accommodate either a spike 26 having a 60 gripping arm 21 twisted laterally relative to the shank 28 (see Fig. 5), said spike being inserted into the perforation 25 with the shank faces parallel to the edges of the plate 24, or a normal spike 29, having its gripping arm 30 curved sidewardly in the plane of the shank 3|, the latter being inserted into the perforation 25 with its faces at an oblique angle relative to the plate edges.

Fig. 7 illustrates the application of rail fastenings, according to the invention, to a rail arranged for unidirectional traffic. In the embodiment shown, a tie plate according to Fig. 3 is used in combination with normal resilient spikes. All the-gripping arms 32 are uniformly disposed with heir free ends 33 pointing in the longitudinal rection opposite to that of the traflic (indicated by the arrow A). This arrangement has the particular advantage, that the rail 34 is prevented from creeping lengthwise because any movement of the rail in the direction of the arrow A (see also Fig. 1) tends to turn the grippingarm towards the web of the rail. of the rail flange, this tendency to turn results in a substantially increased pressure of the gripping arm on the rail during passing of a train, while thereafter, the returning gripping arm tends to restore the rail to its initial position.

Fig. 8 shows rail fastenings, according to the invention, applied to a rail arranged for traflic in both directions. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8, spikes, of normal construction are used in combination with tie plates of the type illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6 and pairs of spikes 35-48 are alternately disposed with the free ends of one pair 35 pointing in one longitudinal direction and the free ends of the following pair 38 pointing in the opposite longitudinal direction. 'In this arrangement, of course, each of the two groupsoflers increased resistance against lengthwise creeping of the rail in one direction.

I claim:

1. In a rail fastening, the combination with a wood tie and a rail supported thereon, of a ra l spike comprising a shank driven into a vertical spike hole in said tie and a resilient pping arm curved upwardly and sidewardly away. from said shank and having its free end bent slightly downwardly to engage the rail flange at a point spaced from said shank, the latter being held against rotation in an angular position in which said gripping arm projects at an oblique angle towards the rail with its free end pointing in the longitudinal direction opposite to that of the traflic.

2. Ina rail fastening, the combination with a wood tie and a rail supported thereon, of a rail spike comprising a shank driven into a vertical spike hole in said tie and a resilient gripping arm curved upwardly and sidewardly away from said shank and having its free end bent slightly downwardly to engage the rail flange at-a point 'spaced from the shank a, 'distance exceeding that between .the spike hole and the vertical plane coinciding with the adjacent vertical surface'of the rail head, said shank being held a nst rotation in an angular position in which said grip ping arm-projects at an oblique angle towards therail with its free end disposed outdde of said vertical plane. V

3. The combination, as claimed in claim 1,;in which-csaid spike hole is dispomd adla'centthe rail flange.

4..Ina rail fastening, the combination with'a rail, a wood.tie, and a tie plate disposedon said tie and having a center portion supporting the flange of the rail and a side portion provided with a perforation, of a rail spike comprising a shank passing through said perforation into-a Owing to the upwardly inclined surface vertical spike hole in said tie and a resilient gripping arm curved upwardly and sidewardly away from said shank and having its free end bent slightly downwardly to engage the rail flange at a point spaced fromsaid shank, and 5 interengaging means on said tie plate and shank, respectively, securingothe latter against rotation in an angular position in which said gripping arm projects at an oblique angle towards the rail.

5. In a rail fastening, the combination with a rail, a wood tie, and a tie plate disposed on said tie and having a center portion supporting the flange of the rail and a side portion provided with a polyangular perforation, prising a shank including a portion of substantially' square cross-section and a resilient gripping arm curved upwardly and sidewardly away from said shank and then slightly downwardly, said shank passing through vertical spike hole in said tie and being held in said perforation against rotation in an angular position inwhich said gripping arm projects at an oblique angle towards said drill with its free end engaging the rail flange at a point spaced 26 from said shank.

. 6. In a rail fastening, the combination with a rail, a wood tie, and a tie plate disposed on said tie and having a center portion supporting the flange of tlie rail and a side portion provided with a polyangular perforation, four corners of said perforation corresponding .to the corners of an imaginary square having two of its sides disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the rail, of a rail'spike comprising a shank of 36 a wood he and a rail supported thereon, of a 45 rail spike comprising a shank of substantially square cross-section driven into a vertical spike hole in said tie with two of its sides disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the'rail,

and a resilient gripping arm curved upwardly go and sidewardly away from said shank at an oblique angle towards said rail and having its .free end bent slightly downwardly to engage the rail flange at a point spaced from said shank.

8. A rail spike for securing railway rails to as wood ties, comprising a shank of substantially square cross-section to fit into a normal spike hole, and a resilient gripping arm-curved upwardly and sidewardly away from said shank in a vertical plane disposed s des of the latter and slightly downwardly to en a a point spaced from the shank, V

9. Ina rail fastening, thecomblnation with a having its free end bent rail flange at rail and a wood no or tie plate disposed onflo said tie having a center portion supporting the flange ofthe rail and aside portion provided wan-o polyangular perforation, four corners of said perforation corresponding to the corners of an imaginary square disposed, with an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis ofthe rail, and a rail spike' comprising a shank of substantially square cross-section and a resilient pp ng arm curved upwardly and sidewardly awayfrom saidshankinaverticalplaneparalll of a rail spike com- 5 said perforation into a 9,0

from said shank at an oblique angle to-' 40 at an oblique angle to the so its sides at 70 lel to two sides of the shank and having its free end bent slightly downwardly to engage the rail flange at a point spaced from the shank, the latter passing through said perforation into a vertical spike hole in said tie and being secured by said four corners of the perforation against rotation in an angular position in which said gripping arm projects at an oblique angle towards said rail,

10. In a rail fastening, the combination with a wood tie and a rail supported thereon, of a rail spike comprising a shank of substantially square cross section driven into a vertical spike hole in said tie with its sides disposed at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the rail, and a resilient gripping arm curved upwardly and sidewardly away from said shank in a vertical plane parallel to two sides of the shank and having its free end bent slightly downwardly to engage the rail flange at a point spaced from said shank.

11. A tie plate for railway rails having a center portion to support the flange of a rail and a side portion provided with a polyangular perforation, four corners of said perforation corresponding to the corners of an imaginary square of a size to flt a normal spike shank of square cross-section and disposed with its sides at on oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the plate.

12. A tie plate for railway rails having a center portion to support the flange of a rail and a side portion provided with a substantially square perforation fitting a. normal spike shank of square cross-section and being disposed with its sides at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the plate.

13., A tie plate for railway rails having a center portion to support the flange of a rail and a side portion provided with an octangular perforation,

49 four corners of said perforationcorresponding to the corners of an imaginary square of a size to fit a normal spike shank of square cross-section and disposed with its sides at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the plate, and the four remaining corners of the perforation corresponding to the corners of a second imaginary square having the same size as said first square and being turned at an angle of with respect thereto.

14. In a rail fastening for unidirectional traflic the combination with a plurality of wood ties and a rail supported thereon, of a plurality of rail spikes comprising shanks driven into vertical spike holes in said ties disposed along two parallel lines on either side of the rail flange, and resilient gripping arms curved upwardly and sidewardly away from said shanks and having their free ends bent slightly downwardly to engage the rail flange at points spaced from said shanks, the latter being held against rotation in angular positions, in which all said gripping arms project at an angle between 45 and towards said rail with their free ends pointing in the longitudinal direction opposite to that of the traffic.

15. In a rail fastening for trafflc in both directions, the combination with a plurality of wood ties and a rail supported thereon, of a plurality of rail spikes comprising shanks driven into vertical spike holes in said ties disposed along two parallel lines 'on either side of the rail flange, and resilient gripping arms curved upwardly and sidewardly away from said shanks and having their free ends bent slightly downwardly to enage the rail flange at points spaced from said shanks, the latter being held against rotation in angular positions in which said gripping arms project at an angle between 45 and 60 towards said rail, certain of said gripping arms pointing with their free ends in opposite longitudinal. directions.

BER'IHOLD KUCKUCK. 

